Q: When you retired, did you feel ‘finished’ or, for you, was there still something left to do?

A: I was finished with the sector I worked in, but over the years I have been a part of a prison ministry, working with convicts in Florence and Perryville prisons who wanted to change their lives. I have also been a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), working for a juvenile court judge to ensure that foster kids got the best advocacy possible. I also served on a Foster Care Review Board (FCRB) for multiple years. I also served on the Glendale Planning and Zoning Commission for nearly 4 years. I am a trained professional speaker, and have authored a book on What Kind of America Do You Want to Leave Your Kids. I also served as chairman of legislative district 9, and as President of the Sun City West Republican club.

Q: What inspires you and why?

A: What inspires me is helping people to rise up, to change their lives, to grow and prosper, and whatever I can do to help, I’m there.

Q: How does your unique set of experiences make a difference for the community in your work now?

A: I have worked in marketing, quality assurance, communication, web site design, speaking, customer relations, and advertising. I’m extroverted, very quick witted, and willing to over 50 years of experience and skill to groups that are working hard to help others.

Q: What’s your advice for boomers who are about to launch their own “second act”?

A: If there second act is another paying job, I’m of no value. If they want to volunteer and contribute, there are literally hundreds of opportunities available. The issue for a lot of boomers is that they wait to be asked instead of seeking opportunities. Experience Matters can connect volunteers with non-profits who need smart, hard working people to get them to the finish line. There are prison service opportunities, boards and commissions in their city, working with foster kids as a CASA or member of an FCRB, ALS associations (my wife is on the board), and the list goes on and on. If you want to contribute but haven’t connected, you’re not trying.

After a long and successful career in human resources and the military, I moved to Arizona to be with my grandchildren. Experience Matters put my skills to work at Circle the City, and it has been incredibly rewarding.

Glenn Hinton, Experience Matters Encore Fellow

In looking at the return on investment from a community engagement perspective, you can try to make an impact through giving cash or product, but giving talent and skill to a nonprofit is something they could not get anywhere else.

Yvonne Hunt, Hewlett Packard Corporation

Planning retirement from Maricopa County after more than three decades of daily interaction with awesome colleagues was both a terrifying and exciting experience. Becoming an Encore Fellow at the Human Services Campus has proven to be the antidote for baby boomer “what’s next in life” anxiety. The Fellowship experience continues to fuel the excitement generated by applying acquired skills to a new challenge.

Linda Mushkatel

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